Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-19

miration of man and the love Of woman.
The face Of the woman was even more at
tractlve and interesting. IL was that Of
a sylph like blonde whose golden tresSes
dancing blue eyes and full red lips spark
led with cnticing beauty. | believed the
German when he said the dark haired
man loved her As woman had never been
. loved before. But II was when | gazed
upon the picture of the child that my ar.
tistic emotions were most deeply aroused
She was little fairy, whose sweet smile
and laughing eyes haunted me for many
a day.
As our host led us through the deserte. !.
rooms he told us the sad incident that hnd
wrecked the home. The man whose pOr-
trait we had admired WAS the owner of the
mansion, and was a member of one Of the
oldest and proudest families in MARYLAND.
| The woman was his wife, and i'll her girl
hood was a leading belle 0f Philadelphia.
The little girl was their only child Five
years before they We're Esing in the old
family mansion. surrounded by every
thing that wealth ard fined taste could
procure. Their home was a favorite re-
sort for the elite of Baltimore society, and
was constantly thronged with gay guests
The walls which echoed our dull footballs
five years before had resounded with the
sounds of mirth and revelry. One night
when the house was wrapped in slumher
the master heard a noise as of some one
attempting TO gain an entrance. Selling
his revolver, he sprang from his bed and
glided with soft footsteps down the hall
to the dining room, from whence the
sounds proceeded. He stopped for a
moment by the door. suddenly it
opened and burglar bounded past him
He raised his weapon aud fired. At the
same instant white figure came within
| the range of his vision. \ piercing shrek
revealed to him his terrible mistake. His
anxious wife had followed him from their
chamber, only to perish at the hand Of
her husband. She never spoke. He
caught her in his arms and received one
passionate kiss of devotion before her
spirit took its flight forever.
II is needless to dwell upon the harrow
ing details of what followed. The esiab-
lishment was at once closed and the ser
wants We're dismissed. The broken heart
cd husband took his little daughter and
fed to Europe that new scenes might al
leviate his SOrrows. Our German friend,
who at that time was a tutor of the little
girl, was left in care of the house. and
from the departure of the master until
our advent he had been the only occupant
OF the deserted homestead. He showed us
the place of the tragedy, and pointed out
the spot where the master stood when he
fired the fatal shot
A somber feeling Of sadness took posses
sion of us, which the gayety of our host
could not dispel. He assured us that we
had done much TO break the monotony of
his existence, and when we took our de
parture he heartily invited us to pay
him another visit. 1t was nearly mid
night when we reached the yacht and
hois,ed sail for our return.
But now comes the romantic part of my
story Four years afterward | was trav-
cling in Europe, and at a German water
ing place met an American, accompanied
by his daughter, handsome girl of l6.
The father was not much past middle
age, but his heavy head of hair was white
As snow. He was very reserved in his
manners, and seemed broken with grief
Somehow their faces attracted me, and |
could not help thinking that in days gone
by had known them. made their ac
quaintance, and learned their history.
Years before had seen their portraits in
the old mansion in Baltimore. \ couple
of years after our meeting the father died.
In the meantime the daughter had become
interested in art. | encouraged her taste
in that direction, and year after her
fathers death she married an artist whom
you have all met.
The party at the boat house declared it
the best story of the evening. and then all
hurried away 10 catch the last car down
tOwn.-Dwight Goss In Hearth and Hall.